Ebony's Fable

'How did I forget? The Shi Clan's...teachings were said to have originated from Elcrain rabbit beastwomen!' Because it was not combat-related, she never used to care too intensely about how amazing the Rabbit Beastwomen were.

She even forgot that these Rabbits used to have the Xeng at caution when it came to their techniques.

The most ridiculous rumour that her grandmother shared with her was that they had hundreds of active tier 3 skills that could compound and most of them were synergetic.

And one fact stood out from all the rumours.

They were the first native race to achieve a Tier 6 skill, excluding the Elves with existing knowledge.

During that generation, the Royal family was the Rabbit Beastman's Alpha. She had every Archduke 'enthralled' including the Elven Archduke. The Elven Matriarch put the Queen of that generation down by stepping out of the Elven Domain personally.

Amongst the human nobles' used to be a family of scholars that specialised in Identity-type skills and they spearheaded technological advancement. They confirmed that the Rabbit's Alpha had a Tier 6 skill by Identification.

The Xengs only heard the news from Xienor a bit too late to see the native's progress and they felt it was a pity that the first pioneer, excluding themselves, had achieved the creation of a Tier 6 skill.

After her death, the Tier 6 skill was said to be lost and the Rabbit Beastmen slowly died out. Rather, most of them were hunted down. They survived because the nobles, from Archdukes to Barons stood up to protect the species as a whole. By the time the Elven Matriarch came out, the Tier 6 creator had already increased the nobles' population by roughly twenty thousand.

She never gave birth, but she made the women pregnant. The Nobles weren't going to let their children or pregnant women be slaughtered. History said that none of the 'enthralled' claimed to have been enthralled, and they all loved the Queen willingly. Fervently.

Hence, it could be said that almost all surviving rabbit beastmen of the modern day were of royal descent.

'Only her Subclass has leveled up? It's also quite high for someone in her teens.' Even if she got her class around 16 years of age, that meant she only needed less than 3 years to get to level 78.

It was more likely that her Class, Sub-Class and Profession were more recent as they needed time to get their unclassed skills to standard before becoming a Journeyman. Higher chances were that she reached level 78 in under a year, maybe 2.

'All her Fortications are maxed out at 250% and she has the maximum amount each class can get…rabbit beastmen haven't lost their legacy.' They weren't combatants, but she could respect those who pushed to the limits to become true elites in their calling.

Not even every Archdukal family member has all their Fortifications and all at 250%.

She could be wrong about the Fortifications, but she had no reason to doubt her Intuition on a Journeyman.

'Ebony said the highest level rabbit beastwoman on the planet is a 500 Grandmaster that lives in the Pleasure District.

Xin surprisingly felt nothing about the fact that he scouted the Pleasure District as well, because it actually represented a significant amount of danger. It was currently the area with the most number of visitors from outside Elcra.

The Empire currently does not allow any Emperor-ranked individuals to enter, excluding illegal entry.

The rabbit beastmen's famed Profession of Succubus's Vigour was a legacy supposedly obtained and taught by a passing Lust Spirit to the Queen Rabbit.

The Profession was the only remnant legacy left behind, and it was as famous to the rabbit beastmen as a mana meister was to a mage. The Tier 6 skill was never taught, and no one had reverse-engineered the skill but Succubus's Vigour was pretty much every rabbit beastmen's Profession.

To summarise, the more intercourse they have, the stronger they get. The stronger their partner, the more energy they can draw. The common essence, skill experience, levelling experience and certain physique changes should enough be consumed or interacted with.

When the rabbits were the Archdukes of the Beastmen, they were unmatched in terms of levelling speed throughout the Worldcore.

A journeymen could go from 0 to 100 in just 5-8 nights with a Grandmaster partner.

There were no Kings back then but the rabbits were limited by their own skills and body. There was only so much they could absorb.

Those that focused on intercourse with warriors and evolved sufficiently had bodies rivalling and even exceeding Imperial Knights. Those that only took mages as partners, which was exceedingly rare back in the days due to the lack of mages, would have mana capacities greater than any singular artillery mage.

Hence, the prostitutes today all cater to a specific group of people for their own Physique refinement and mutation. To this day, the rabbit beastmen were ahead of the curve when it came to Physique editing.

The humans and dwarves had Physique refinement in the form of mana enhancement for decades and centuries before the elements or arcane mana changed their Physique permanently.

The Elves had their secrets.

The rabbit beastmen didn't depend on raw ingredients with intense energy. The raw ingredients they needed were a strong partner.

For once, Xin didn't feel pity for the lack of a strong opponent. They might get an amazing Physique over time, but as long as they never trained in combat, they would just be similar to a high-level monster and a sitting duck.

More importantly, this shop unnerved her and the rabbit ladies unnerved her further. The atmosphere and emotions in this store were getting her in the mood. She didn't need that now, not when she needed to be apart from Ebony for his growth.

"You're staring hard, big sister. Want to read with me?"

"If you don't mind."

"uh—I'm a bit shy." She pulled back, shoulders slumping. Eyes softening. Legs closing ever so slightly tighter. It almost looked like she bit her lip, but she only puckered ever so slightly for a brief instant.

"Lies. Coy Maiden, huh. It's interesting. Using subtle acts to manipulate the mind and make yourself seem an insignificant threat. You need to work on hiding your emotions for it to work on highly perceptive people or those with special skills." Xin felt zero shyness or embarrassment despite the tone, closed body language and tightening muscles.

The young girl had better bodily control than the average Imperial Knight at this age.

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"Big sister has lie detection skills? My vocal deception skill didn't get any experience…"

"Still using your skills on me?" Black smiled a little.

Although the girl was using the truth to gain more trust, it was obvious to her that the Coy Maiden was working around her lie detection skill but still trying to gain a positive impression and possibly favour.

However, the hardworking nature reminded her of Ebony. Basically, never stopped experimenting and testing old and new limits.

Vocal deception type skills varied, but this young girl's seems to be a form of muscular control to hide any wavering or indication that her words do not match the truth in her mind.

There was not a hint of mana used, which was actually a superior form of meddling with a foreign mind. The less harmful, the easier mind-affecting Skills can affect their target and pass through mental defences.

Black amused the kid by dropping her guard and letting the young girl work her Coy Maiden Skills on her while they sat side by side and read her book.

Flushing red hot, there was no reading to be done. It was all images, moving images.

The last time she got a book here….she was still hiding that book, but she never used it again after her marriage.

Her flush seemed to awe the young girl for real. "How did you make your face flush so easily!?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

The more the Coy Maiden interacted with Xin, the more likeable she seemed to Xin.

Black sensed the Coy Maiden's level increase during their interaction.

Her questions quickly turned into praises, and praises turned into harassment.

'This book...the tailed figure. Is this a succubus? If I remember correctly, they originate from a demonised sub-human race.'

One of the uncommon few 'successful' demonised races that didn't kill themselves off by turning into frenzied monsters or get anyone hunting their species down. Though there were apparently some Worldcores with succubi as monsters, likely individuals that failed to control how much foreign Worldcore Essence they absorb and let it taint their minds and souls completely. That was only a small fraction of the race's members as a whole.

The Coy Maiden's harassment made her happy and extremely uncomfortable when her 'coyness' was not surfacing through her words. "Big sister, your body is made for sex. You're so attractive! You're attached to a man right, he's such a lucky man."

"Ye—yes, but I'm the lucky one."

"Do you need any vigour potions for him? We have a small selection, but only the best! They even work for King-ranked Imperial Knights."

"Vigour potions? What do they do?"

She placed her index finger on her chin and looked at Xin in confusion, "Obviously to increase the man's stamina. You're physically strong right? Our vigour potions are very well received amongst the ladies for their partners."

"Are you trying to kill me!?" Her genuine shock affected the Intent in her life force and knocked out everyone downstairs. The streets outside were safe as she pulled her Intent back, but the Coy Maiden was out cold with blood leaking out of her eyes and nose.

The owner rushed out from her workstation in fear, but she held her own ground pretty well. Being able to walk and immediately putting herself in front of her employee. "My daughter didn't mean to offend you in any way. Please show mercy!"

'I've already gotten to the point where a lack of control over my emotions might get Journeymen killed…' She failed miserably once again when it comes to emotional stability.

Feeling a bit of pity that this would either mean she would have to stay away from people like Kiva or get herself in check, this was all foretold by the Xengs. Most of them experienced the same thing.

They got so strong that their sudden anger might kill people around them. People they didn't want to harm.

Fortunately, her Intent had no hostility this time around due to Black holding the reins at the moment.

Ebony's Will had been expanded by the Saintess of the Ning Clan.

Her Intent was sharpened by the Saintess of the Shi Clan.

Ebony's learning process was complicated, with mind shenanigans.

Shi Tao's method was simpler. She attacked Xin with her projected Intent carried by the faintest silver of life force that may as well be the roughest waterfall to Xin.

The overall 'mass' of her Intent never grew significantly as Ebony's Will did. It was even reduced drastically.

The difference was akin to an ore mine of Intent washed down and forged into a single sword.

Red was the sword, and Black was the sheath for her Intent.

They could target her Intent far better, for a singular purpose. Such as removing herself from the effects of a mage's Domain and Will. Deflecting the Will of the Legendary Worldcore that was similar to a mage's Domain.

Infused into her actual sword, Intent helped cut things better. Ignore certain magical defences better than before. Ignore certain buffs that's powered by other Intents and Wills.

It should also include being able to physically cut Spirits, Elementals, Ghosts, Souls, and practically any other energy forms. But she would have to test that out herself and see whether or not her Intent was strong enough to do so.

Mana and the correct elements did help in attacking intangible monsters, but these creatures could usually heal or reform damage that wasn't lethal to them, especially a physical-based attack.

Just because her Intent was sheathed didn't mean the Coy Maiden could stand behind whacked over her entire body since her life force flooded the building.

Xin took a potion that her husband got for her and pacified the owner.

She ended up unable to deny the book that the Coy Maiden was reading as a gift. It was actually their Profession lineage, including the skills and possible Fortifications one may obtain down the evolutionary route.

A lot of the skills were on how to absorb essence, how to break down and purify essence and how to incorporate them into one's Physique.

The last part was crucial, the rest could serve as reference materials to what she was already doing with essence from the blood she drinks and food she cooks, since they retain a monster's or plant's essence to obtain any sort of buff. Her cooking could stand to gain from a better essence purification technique.

The more she read the scant few words and explanations at the back of the book, the more she seemed to be able to implement the essence control into her chef profession.

The Coy Maiden was surprisingly unfearful when she woke up. She only carried excitement. "I want to learn that!"

"Okay, I'll teach you. In return, you can teach me this. There aren't many explanations in this." Xin pointed to the skills on foreign essence control.

"Yes please!"

"It's going to take you a few more evolutions before you can vaguely sense your Intent, but we can expedite that with training." She had a genetic advantage, and even then, she was only able to utilise Intent as a Grandmaster. There was little hope for the Coy Maiden until she became a King however, there were methods to expedite at least the sensation of one's Intent.

Every creature had Intent after all, even Unclassed.

Xin didn't have a senior to engage her Intent earlier in her life. Her Grandmother didn't utilise Intent, and she was an outcast. However, Xin could do what the Shi Saintess did for her to the Coy Maiden.

The young girl might have to faint a few times in the process since she didn't have a strong mind or body. Xin wasn't an expert with Intent either.

'Ebony got quite a few students. I suppose making my masterpiece sounds good. And this girl has a similar ability to me, maybe not gaining numerical stats, but increasing her base stats effects directly. Her being a beastman also means higher base vitality and endurance to begin with. Her low mana capacity and regeneration wouldn't affect her, and she could have that raised in future…hmm, rabbit beastmen have high potential?'

"I'll make you the next rabbit the owner of a Tier 6 skill." There was nothing special about a Tier 6 skill to her, but to the Elcrians and the girl before her, her words made the young child's eyes sparkle.

They continued chatting as if Xin had never knocked her out and injured her while her mother tried to calm down and continue her work on the adjustments.

"So why's your class and profession not levelled at all?"

"Because I'm a virgin duh."

Xin had to rethink her statement, it slipped her mind. Now she didn't think she could teach this child. But her pride fought back, she wasn't going to take her words back. All she needed to do was teach her Vitality and Intent manipulation to the proficiency of a Tier 6 skill.